Process for producing fire extinguishing foam



Patented Mar. 12, 1940 Lewis G. Morris Timpson, Plainfield, J., as-

signor to Pyrene Minimax Corporation, Newark,

PROCESS FOR PRODUCENG FIRE EXTINGUISHING FOAM sear- N. J a corporationof Delaware No Drawing.

Serial No. 151,465

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to the production of fire extinguishing foam andmore particularly to foam stabilizing ingredients for use therein.

There are several known methods of producing fire extinguishing foam,each employing a foam stabilizing ingredient, but the requirements whichmust be met by the foam stabilizing ingredients vary with the particularprocess employed for producing foam.

Where foam is produced by a a very brief space of time and must becapable of forming a fairly concentrated solution.

Moreover, the amount of the agent which can be aspirated or injectedinto a flowing stream of water is limited and, consequently, when these25 methods of introduction are relied upon the agent must be of suchcharacter that the resulting solution will contain sufficientstabilizinlg agent to form foam satisfactory for extinguishing a fire.

In addition to the requirement for 30 solubility and dispersibility inwater, the stabilizing ingredient should be capable of producing a goodquality of foam, that is, one with good body and able to stand up underadverse conditions.

Such adverse conditions arise especially 35 where the foam may beapplied to oil or gasoline In such use of fire extinguishing foam, it

is very desirable to throw a blanket of foam on a surface of burningliquid of such a character that the foam will maintain its blanket form,40 excluding air from the hot liquid, until the liquid has been affordeda chance to cool.

The hot vapors tend to deteriorate or break down most foam under suchconditions.

An object of my invention is to provide a foam 45 stabilizing ingredientfulfilling the foregoing requirements with the production of foam ofsuperior qualities.

invention are especially suited and particularly 55 desirable for use inthe W agener method of pro- Application July 1, 1937,

ducing fire extinguishing foam, the use thereof is not limited to thismethod and they may advantageously be employed in other methods ofproducing fire extinguishing foam.

I have discovered that a soluble phosphated salt of a fatty alcohol orof a fatty acid glyceride produces an unusually high quality of fireextinguishing foam, particularly with respect to the resistance of thefoam to destruction by hot vapors.

Such a phosphated salt containing a fatty acid radical should be readilysoluble in water in order to afford a solution of the foam stabilizingingredient of suflicient concentration so that when it is mixed withwater in the proper proportions, the foam produced will be of fireextinguishing quality. For example, in a method of producing air foam,that is by the Wagener process, in which the foam stabilizing solutionis mixed with the water in the ratio of about 1 to 16, I have found thata 12% solution of a phosphated salt containing a fatty radi- Where thewater and foam stabilizing solution are mixed in different proportions,the strength of the foam stabilizing solution may be suitably adjusted.

One class of ingredients which are particularly suitable for purposes ofthis invention is the phosphated inorganic sulfonates of a fatty alcalis suitable.

cohol.

The'fatty radical may be any of the well known fatty radicals such asthe lauryl, cetyl, palrnityl, capryl or myricyl radicals. For example, aphosphate modified sodium. lauryl sulfonate or sulfate has been found tobe particularly satisfactory when employed alone as a foam stabilizingingredient for producing fire extinguishing foam. These phosphated fattysalts preferably contain an inorganic acid and basic radical and/orelement, such as the alkaline materials sodiurn, potassium or ammonium,combined with an acidic radical such as the sulfonate, sulfate,chloride, or nitrate in order to render the material sufficientlysoluble in water.

The foam stabilizing ingredient may be prepared in any desired manneras, for example, by combining a fatty alcohol or fatty acid glyceridewith sodium acid sulfate, or by the formation of a fatty sulfonic acidor sulfate in some other manner.

The fatty ester of an inorganic acid,

or a mixture of such esters would then be phosphated in any suitablemanner.

Such phosphating might be carried out by a treatment with trisodiumphosphate as is well understood in the art.

My invention is not dependent on any particular procedure for preparingthese foam stabilizing agents.

different fatty radicals; I I I I The terms and expressions which I haveem-= I ploye d-are used as terms of description and not of limitation,and I have no intention; in the use of such terms and expressions, ofexcluding I 7 any i equivalents of the features shown and 119-: iscribed or portions thereof, but recognize that various: modifications.are possible i within the Various of these phosphated fatty salts may beemployed, either alone or in combination with each other 'or with otherfoam stabilizing in--r gradients. r When employed in combination withother foam stabilizing ingredients, these phosphated organic salts maybeemployed in smaller proportions but have the effect of greatly improvingthe character and quality of the foam,

particularly as i regards its stability in I thepresence oihot vapors. I

' scope of the invention claimed: 7

I claim: I 1; In a method cal. i

The material of producing 'fire extinguishing r foam, thaste'ps' forforming foam byaspirating r I i airinto' a strearnor Watefnan'dincorporating in the foam a foam stabilizing agent comprising a solublephosphated salt containing a fatty radi ioam, the stepsiof forming: foamby aspirating. I 1 1 air into a stream of water, and incorporating inthe foarn afoam stabilizing agentcomprising a v r soluble phosphatedinorganic ;salt of a fatty I I I 1 alcohol. r I 1 I :3. Inamethod, ofproducing fire extinguishing- 7 team, the steps of forming foam byaspirating air into astream of water, and incorporating in I the foam afoam stabilizing agent comprising a soluble phosphated inorganic salt ofa fatty acid;

glyceride.

4. Inamethocl of prodncing fire extinguishing foam, the stepsjof formingfoam by aspirating 1 air into a stream of water, and incorporatin vin:thefoam a foam stabilizing agent comprising a,

solubleiphosphated sodium lauryl sulfate. 7

5; A process of producing fire extinguishing a gasinto a stream of saidwater by the aspire,- tion action thereof. A I I foam comprisingintroducing a foam stabilizing:- I agent containing a: solublephosphated salt having a fattyradical into water, and incorporating 20 Q6. A process .of producing fire: extinguishing the aspiration actionthereof. I r r r '7. A process of producing fire. extinguishing;

foam comprising introducing a foam-stabilizing agent containing asolublephosphated alkali sul-- I iate of a fatty alcohol into Water, andinr :co'rporating a gas into astream of said water by:

p p p a the aspiration 2. In amethodofproducing fireextinguishing 1 i II action thereof.-,- r r LEWISiG. MORRISIKMPSON;

foam comprising introducing a foam stabilizing p i agent containing asoluble phosphated inorganic salt having a fatty: radioal into water,anoint- I v corporating 'axgas into a stream of said water by r

